


Sentimental

by vsilver



Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, a tad mushy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-27
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-09-02 16:31:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8674606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vsilver/pseuds/vsilver
Summary: Swindle wants to partner up but Lockdown is too apprehensive. A short fic of them vaguely hinting their sappy sentiment for each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Always had an interest to write Swinlock. Also driven by the need of more a vicious side of Swindle ٩( ´◡` )

Swindle spun in his seat, grabbing another handful of sweetly concentrated energon from a bowl. He was marathoning an assortment of movies from the different planets he’d visited recently, the current one playing from Earth. Every screen in the pilot’s room of his darkly lit ship was busy playing the horror movie, something about a group of humans being attacked by all of the planet’s urban legends and creatures. He laughed, crumbs falling from his mouth as the music’s tension grew.

“Stupid execution, but neat idea. Maybe I should do that,” he smirked as the screen panned over to a facility filled to the brim with creatures all made to do the bidding of the antagonists. “Hmm. Am I a villain or antagonist?” 

“Depends who you ask,” replied a husky voice from the datapad on his lap. The merchant glanced down to see Lockdown watching the movie from his end of the video call. 

Swindle just laughed, rolling his optics. “Oh you. So, is it better than the last one?” 

The bounty hunter was currently looming over a metal slab, dissecting a couple limbs with some sharp instruments. Though he had angled the datapad to only face above his shoulders, Swindle could tell what he was doing. His faceplate the picture of concentration, save for the occasional laugh at Swindle’s comments through the film. When wasn’t the green bot bot elbow deep in another’s guts? “I prefer comedy night. This stuff isn’t as terrorizing as I expected it to be. No thrill.”

“Magic and curses ain’t doing it for you eh?,” Swindle slid his legs over the arm of a seat, holding the datapad above him and mustering up a coy smile. “How about you come over for a while.”

At Swindle’s suggestive tone, Lockdown stopped for a moment. He tilted his head with a bewildered look. 

“If I come over we might end up getting too . . . busy for proper business. You got mad last time when you didn’t have enough time to get ready for a deal with some bozo.”

“I got _upset_ because you didn’t hide like I told you to! Lockdown you’re a deal breaker. Who wants to deal with a bot that has a bounty hunter for a friend.”

“A friend?”

“Friend. Unless you want to upgrade.” Swindle knew he was starting to irritate the green bot, but it amused him too much. The two have been getting closer in the last few decades, to the point where they’d satisfy each other’s need for socializing. As much of a pain it was to admit, Swindle didn’t fare going without company for long. Well, non-business related. Lockdown on the other hand needed constant entertainment. 

“We are well past friend status,” he said sternly.

“Best friends?” offered Swindle as he busted out laughing. “Can you imagine? Lockdown you save my aft plenty of times, and are a fantastic customer! You are my only friend.”

Lockdown clicked his mouth, annoyed. “You mean with my credit account. Anyone with one is your friend.”

“You jealous?”

No response.

The smaller bot laughed as he readjusted back into his seat, putting the movie from his end on pause. “That’s cute. You’re precious.”

“Gross. I think I feel my spark burn.”

“You like that, huh?”

“Perhaps,” he grinned. Lockdown put his instruments down, done with the day. He picked up the datapad as he headed over to his pilot’s room straight for a cabinet to prepare himself a meal. Silently Swindle watched from the other side. His line of sight darted to Lockdown’s complacent expression. The arm’s dealer was pleased to see he put that smile on the worn-out faceplate. 

Perhaps it was the sense of security he shouldn’t have or maybe the growing sentiment he ought to crush, but Swindle found himself genuinely enjoying the green bot’s company. Lockdown was unsettling, tenacious, cut-throat, and very strong. Admirable traits to Swindle. He found himself fancying the idea of a crummy joint partnership with Lockdown. Working side by side didn’t seem as loathsome as it should. Feeling his palms get a bit clammy, he poured the rest of the energon into his mouth chewing a bit too loudly. 

“We work well together,” Lockdown broke the silence as he sat the datapad down with a clear view of the clear drink he was preparing himself. Swindle hummed, agreeing. “A lot in common.”

He could still hear the movie playing from Lockdown’s end, some screaming and agonized cries from humans running away. That made the arm’s dealer smile wide, how typical for screams to play at the moment. It was so like Lockdown’s ship. The green bot noticed this, amused he couldn’t help rolling his eyes as he poured some medicine into his drink and stirred the mixture in his hand. “You like that?”

“Oh, very,” his wide optics glint brightly,”you’ve got to livestream for me another one of your hunts again. I love watching you work.”

“Heh, such a charmer,” he drunk the mixture in one gulp. Swindle switched the video to the main screen, looking for a better view of his associate. “I have a gift for you, Lockdown. I’ve meant to bring it up before. For months, actually.”

“How much will it be?” Whatever it was, it was always good. Swindle never disappointed.

“No charge!” he exclaimed as he spun in his seat, “at least not in credits.”

“What would you like, Swindle?”

The arm’s dealer logged onto one of the monitors, scrolling through his files. When he found the one he had edited for weeks, agonizing over the detail of it, losing sleep sometimes from how much he couldn’t help staring at the document he attached it to an email. He’d scrutinized it long enough, the merchant pressed send.

Despite hiding the nerves he had, Swindle could not force himself not to sweat. To distract himself he grabbed another bag of food, a bit of trouble as he tore it open the wrong way. Amused, Lockdown laughed. Then they both heard a ping from his inbox.

“So,” Swindle cleared his throat, “if you don’t like it i’ll accept a return. Just this once.” From the corner of his eye he watched carefully over the bounty hunter’s face. To no surprise Lockdown proved to be a fast reader. 

“Well, I didn’t expect this.”

“Tell me if you hate it. I can take it,” lied Swindle.

“That’s not it. I,” he couldn’t help but laugh,” I was gonna ask you.”

Swindle stopped chewing, mouth going slack. “What?”

The green bot scrolled again through the proposal, smug and content. “Guess I was a bit more desirable to be asked first.”

What Lockdown held was a partnership proposal written up in the most careful detail. He’d need a couple hours to look over all the tiny fine print, but the benefits and rules section had caught his eye in particular. Charmed, he turned the contract to the screen for Swindle to see at a specific rule he pointed at. The arm’s dealer couldn’t hide his face heating up, looking away a bit embarrassed.

“This has got to be my favorite part,” he tapped with his hook, “ _you’re exclusively mine to deal with._ ”

Swindle grumbled as he shielded his face with his bulky arm. “That’s how partnership’s work.”

“If it were a business transaction, yes. It would. But this isn’t business. It’s a perk, but that’s not what you’re after.”

“What makes you say that?” blinked Swindle in a confused manner. 

“I like your company. You have the same impression of me too. Am I wrong?”

He didn’t want to admit to anything, less give Lockdown the upper hand in the situation. Remaining silent he crossed his arms. He wouldn’t give in. 

Fine, Lockdown thought. He’d irritate the answer right out of the arm’s dealer. He suddenly turned to another screen, away from a surprised Swindle. He typed a few things and soon, a new voice came on.

“Finally you answer my call!” Starscream yelled. It was loud enough to hear from Swindle’s end. “Now, I’d like to get a price quote. I want them captured alive; i’ll do the torturing.”

Lockdown was delight to see Swindle clenching his jaw. “Hello Starscream. Sorry for the delay. I was busy with the arm’s dealer here, but we seem to be done.” 

Starscream from his end turned to see the datapad Lockdown held in his hand. The two bots made eye contact, a fierce glare from purple optics gave the seeker a shiver. Despite being all smiles and pleasantries, Swindle can be vicious at the drop of a hat. 

“Oh Lockdown. Playing with fire are we? Swindle is not one to double-cross.”

On a plate, the green bot placed a bowl and utensils. It was a saved piece of sweetly refined energon saved from an outing he had with the arm’s dealer a couple days ago. He relished Swindle’s fierce stare.

“Hang up on him,” the golden bot demanded. His fingers cut into the armrests, teeth clenched. 

“Why would I hang up on him? Starscream’s clearly enjoying himself with me.”

But the bot in question nervously looked to the side, “d-don’t drag me into this. I don’t need a second canon to the face.”

“ _We_ were in the middle of something.” Swindle vented, attempting to keep his irritation in check. As Swindle did so, he noticed the dessert Lockdown was eating. “Is that the flan we ate?” The green bot raised his fork, a piece of the multicolored energon treat on the end. 

“Eww, you go out to dinner together? That’s dangerous!” squeaked Starscream as he made a sour expression, “as decepticons we have a huge mark on our heads! You two ought to know that better than anyone!”

“It was alright,” Swindle replied as he watched the bounty hunter eat. “Lockdown was there. Who in the right mind would mess with him?”

Pleased, Lockdown grunted in response. “You mean us. You’ve got a canon under every nook and cranny of you. You’re more decked out than I am.”

“Oh stop,” finally smirked Swindle as his optics softening with the compliment. The two were all smiles with each other, Starscream clearly feeling like the third wheel.

“You two ought to behave yourselves. If either of you get caught there goes good decepticon resources.”

“I’d bust us out of the Elite Guard,” joked Lockdown as he got cozy in his seat, leaning far back into plush leather. While he chewed on his food his attention turned back to Swindle joyfully snickering. His sharp optics glinted excitedly as he leaned on the counter of his controls. “You’d do that for us?”

“Gladly. Granted I get a reward.”

“Oh, you’d get one alright.”

The gooey eyes they made at each other repulsed the seeker. Starscream waved his hands onscreen, wanting them to stop. “Lockdown you piece of scrap. I’m not to be used to settle some petty argument with others!”

“Petty? I’ll have you know you are a witness to a union between two of the most charming bots around,” the green bot finished his food. Swindle kept munching on his snack, delighted in the confused but frightened look on Starscream’s face. He leaned into the screen, hanging on Lockdown’s every word. He liked where this was heading.

“What do you mean?” the seeker’s voice shook.

“It just so happens Swindle and I’ve decided to-,”before Lockdown could finish he abruptly hung up on Starscream. Swindle stopped mid bite, eyes wide in shock. He watched as Lockdown proceeded to bust out laugh, ignoring the seeker’s calls. 

“Telling Starscream anything is telling the entire galaxy,” sighed the green bot relaxing into his plush seat. He scratched a bit at his chassis, transferring the video call with Swindle onto multiple screens. “What’s the matter? You don’t think it was funny?”

Lockdown was right, this was the funniest thing Swindle’s ever seen. He could just picture the terror and squawking Starscream was doing at being stood up. But he couldn't laugh, not when he felt so let down. Sulking, he swallowed the food in his mouth. “Don’t toy with me.”

“Swindle,” frowned Lockdown, “we cannot work together. An attachment like that is very dangerous. Partnerships tend to end in disaster.”

The arm’s dealer furrowed his brows. “What are you getting at? That i’m too incompetent for you?” 

Lockdown waved his hook in dismissal. “No, no! Not like that.”

“Then?” pressed Swindle losing his patience.

An alarm blared, cutting whatever Lockdown was saying. The smaller bot turned to a camera feed outside his ship, something hovering at the back of the ship’s engines attacking. He quickly turned off the alarms and got to work on his computer, putting up the force field and invisibility cloak that had somehow not gone off before this intruder could even step a mile within his flying space. Strange; they had shut themselves down earlier.

“What in blazes,” he bit annoyed as his optics wildly glanced to his many screens showing different angles of his ship. On his end of the video Lockdown leaned in his screen, concern in his voice.

“Are you under attack?”

“Someone shut down all my defense systems. Something blew up the computer’s connection with my alarms.” His sirens had been going off for the last hour, but had been set to mute. Anguish took a hold of him as he put up all defense shields. He had been compromised.

“It must’ve been an inside job. Lock yourself in somewhere. I’ll get to you.”

“No, no it can’t be. I would’ve seen. I would've noticed!” but there just as Lockdown hypothesized a shadow of someone dashing through a vent of his ship crossed his camera feed. The golden bot turned to look up, an open vent right over his head. 

“Swindle listen to me. Get to your safe room. Don’t argue just do it.”

Something Swindle said had the bot tense. He was mumbling too quietly, it was hard to hear.

“What?” begged Lockdown.

“They’re here.”

 

The video chat cut off abruptly, and Lockdown was left with a feeling of dread. Ignoring the cold feeling in his chassis he quickly set coordinates to Swindle’s ship. It was really far away, on the other side of the same galaxy the green bot was at. Fuel was pricey on this end of the universe, he’d settle the expense of it after helping the arm’s dealer. 

His ship gave a loud rumble before jumping, plates from his counter falling right off as Lockdown held onto his seat. Whoever decided to rob from Swindle had picked one hell of a fight today, he’d make sure of it.

The brown ship had dents and scorched plating. Nothing like the shining and pristine condition Swindle usually kept it. It’s invisibility cloak was obviously broken, and weapon system off. His own ship’s invisibility shield up, Lockdown set right besides the battered ship. 

He bit his lip, a rushing feeling of guilt at toying with Swindle about the proposal. Would that be their last conversation?

Lockdown logged into a video feed of the bot’s bedroom, thankful for their past indulgences in each other. 

It had been broken in; there were datapads, boxes, crates and different trinkets Swindle had collected during his travels that served no purpose other than to spoil his appetite for odd objects on the floor. It was rummaged through.

He draped his tattered brown cloak over himself and strapped a belt with ammunition and hunting gear. The trespasser would not leave in one piece.

 

Swindle awoke restrained to a cabinet, ankles and wrists bound painfully tight with a thick cord digging into his plates. He blinked a few times, his eyes sore from the blinding flash bomb thrown at him earlier by the two creatures before him. He had never seen this species before, though they did look as soft and puny as the humans from Earth, except for more scales.

The two were attempting to transfer data from his computer. Angry, but restraining himself he put up his charismatic smile for the to-be stains on his wall.

“If you wanted information we could have sorted out a deal.” He warmed up his weapons. This was gonna be hell on his upgraded furniture. The creatures paid him no mind. Swindle turned to lie on his back, getting ready to execute his escape plan. Hook himself up to the ceiling, blasting these fools into dust, and anything else that crosses his path until the infestation was dealt with. Easy.

But as he attempted to activate his cannon and shield, they failed to respond. No, they couldn’t have possibly done anything to them. Swindle tried over and over, in denial.

“They won’t work,” one of them spoke in a high pitched voice. 

“What did you do. . . ,”mumbled Swindle as the ire in him rose, “what did you do to me?!”

“Technology on the fritz is our specialty,” giggled the other trespasser. Panic rose in him as he tried pulling at the restraints, clawing at the tight binds. They shocked him. A hot flare ran up underneath his plating through his energon lines. Embarrassingly, he let out a cry of pain. The two aliens laughed amongst each other as they carried large memory drives and disks in a crate.

“Thanks for the loot,” smiled one of them, their reptilian face scrunched in the oddest way baring it’s teeth at the arm’s dealer. 

“Give that back!” hissed Swindle rage in effect. He forced himself to power through the searing pain as he stood up, leaning against the wall. His arms shook, tired of the tightening strain on them. Swindle knew he could pry the metal cords off, he was a combaticon after all. At the moment he blamed himself for not keeping up with strength training and relying a bit too much on his weapons. 

“Anything else?” asked the taller alien.

“Let’s scrap him. Maybe they’re worth a lot.” They pulled out something akin to a datapad scrolling through it. “I bet he’s worth plenty if he had all this good stuff onboard.” 

“Cybertronian metal sells very high. They’ll put us through a cozy retirement.”

Just then the ship shook roughly, sirens blaring. At least the security system was working again. Swindle stumbled on the ground in front of the aliens, attempting to use the moment of confusion to his advantage. Instead it got him a simultaneous shock through his entire body except this time even as he stopped moving, continued.

“Turn it off!” he cried with tears at the brink of falling, “it’s frying me!”

“So, damaged goods. Still money,” the trespasser shrugged. The other put their crate down, kicking the arm’s dealer out the doorway. Despite being half the bot’s size, they were very strong. From underneath they’re heavy armor the trespassers were taking out what Swindle can only assume were their weapons, unable to see clearly from the tears running down his optics and the electric shock causing static to run through them. He was close to begging them to stop whatever it was burning him on the inside. 

Another loud rumble of his ship had Swindle turning in his spot. The arm’s dealer rolled onto his back as he watched the trespassers run towards the noise. It reminded him of the movie he was watching earlier with Lockdown, how the humans ran towards whatever monster was hunting for them. 

He wished to have gotten the audio enhancement, maybe then he would’ve been able to hear whatever sorry excuse Lockdown had to not agree to a partnership before the ship went under attack. Pride wounded, he kinda hoped to offline before the bounty hunter reached him. He was at a pitiful state.

“Lockdown, Lockdown I’m here in the control room,” Swindle weakly commed. The constant shocking had his safety protocols begging to go into recharge. But stubborn, he ignored them. He needed to see with his own optics if it was in fact the green bot or another trespasser. He was the kind of bot that just needed to settle his doubts before letting death take him. A thundering roar of a saw and shouts had his attention. 

The bounty hunter was thrown into the control room, rolling right in front of Swindle. He was surrounded by the same chains that electrocuted the arm’s dealer, a tight hold on the struggling bot. The intruders were reloading their weapons, planning to offline them both before dismantling them.

“I made it,” Lockdown hissed as he attempted to cut the thick chain. “I’ll tell you what I said after this.”

“We’ll be dead,” Swindle groaned past his whines, “tell me now.”

“I’ll be your partner.”

That had the smaller bot stunned silent, but anger soon boiled in him. Optics narrowed viciously at the green bot he growled. “Then why did you turn me down earlier?!”

Lockdown closed his eyes, the shock overcoming him and wanting to recharge to escape the searing pain. “I’d hate to lose a partner. But now in death what’s it matter.”

“ _Lockdown!_ ” snarled Swindle ferociously as he got up. His weapons budged and pried past the chains, not caring of the restrain. The trespassers stood back, aiming their weapons at them astonished at the development. He aimed wildly at them, not caring where he hit. Like hell he’d let the bounty hunter get off the hook. Death cannot take him from the arm’s dealer. Not until Swindle was done with him. The chaotic scene that unfolded drove the intruders into a blasting frenzy with the bot.

“ _Get away from him!_ ” Little did the trespassers know he was the real threat to watch out for, the monster in disguise.

The arm’s dealer pried out of the chains and with his canon finally landed a shot on the trespassers head on. Trying to keep himself from rebooting, Lockdown watched with pride and pleasure at the rampage of a mess Swindle created. Despite how small, how charming, self-preserving the merchant was nobody could hold a candle to his rage. It’s always the happy ones, the green bot told himself.

Swindle breathed heavily, his spark settling down as he stood on the incinerated pieces of the trespassers. The shocking left them, Lockdown sighing in relief as his limbs finally relaxed on the floor. He couldn’t help but smile his old crooked grin at his savior that stood over him. The arm’s dealer was eerily quiet, weapons still online. Dried tears smeared on his cheeks, burned and fried plating with chipped paint decorating his frame. His stare was dark, optics wide and shining fiercely. The gaze sweeping over him gave Lockdown a shiver, relishing in it.

“Looks like you don’t really need a partner with that kinda fire power,” sighed the green bot as he willed himself to sit up. With a bit of trouble he leaned half his body on the control seat, finding the thought of just dropping asleep here and now very appealing. 

“Don’t ever say that again,” warned Swindle. Lockdown blinked in confusion as the arm’s dealer knelt down, upset. “You think you’re the only one that holds sentiment? Call it ironic, but I find it repulsive to have you dead. It’s wrong. Just thinking about it makes me sick.”

The smaller bot picked him up, hauling Lockdown over his back. Swindle left the mess untouched as he made their way straight for his room.

“Is this my reward?” 

“I saved your aft, you reward _me_.”

Swindle will have his hands full in the next few hours fixing the damage done to his computers and himself. They might have to stop at a shop to get the exterior of his ship looked at whatever fried his shield and weapons system. Maybe stop for dinner first. 

“I’ll be your partner.” 

The arm’s dealer laughed. “No, you already gave me your word earlier.” They stepped into Swindle’s messy room, though the floor was covered in crates and boxes the bed had been kept undisturbed. He hauled Lockdown on top of the bed, sitting himself down on the edge as he popped upon a drawer on his nightstand for the emergency medical kit.

“What would you like then?”

Lockdown watched him with a tired look as purple hands applied medicine on his scorched arm. They’re venting grew still, the room warm. Swindle moved to his face, playfully wiping at the bounty hunter’s smug grin.

“Diner for two.”


End file.
